Tuition Fees and Broken Hearts
by xhearttowordsx
Summary: Blaine receives a very unwelcome surprise visit from his absent brother Cooper. They get emotional. Lots of Blangst ensues. Rated T for language.


**This was inspired by some spoiler shots and an incredible idea from my lovely Stephanie. She beta'd too and made this even better. I'm just amazed that I got this written in about 24 hours.**

**So much anderbros angst, okay? Blangst especially. Sort of spoilery if you don't know anything about the upcoming episode, but it's mostly speculation otherwise.**

**As usual, I own nothing and no one; I just like to borrow these characters to have a little fun.**

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><p>"…I guess I'm just not really sure which book to write the paper on and…Kurt? Are you – <em>AH! What the hell?<em>"

"Hey there little bro! Long time no see!"

Blaine jumped a foot in the air when a hand slapped onto his shoulder. He'd been talking to Kurt at their lockers between classes, debating topics for their most recent English paper. Kurt's eyes had suddenly widened and his jaw dropped comically when he glanced over Blaine's shoulder. Clearly, with good reason.

Because Blaine's older brother Cooper decided to appear. In school. In the middle of the day. For no apparent reason. After abandoning him.

Eyes narrowed and lips pursed, Blaine spun around to find a huge grin plastered across Cooper's face. It faltered when he saw the anger on his brother's face.

"Cooper," Blaine nearly spat.

"Blaine – "

"_Oh my god!_ Cooper Anderson! Wait, Blaine, Cooper is your brother? You're – oh my god! H-hi!" Kurt nearly jumped in the air, hands shaking a bit in his excitement. Cooper was quite a famous actor; he starred as a regular on that new medical show with a cheesy name and had just wrapped his second movie in as many years. Kurt was a huge fan and really hadn't connected that he was the same Cooper that Blaine had mentioned literally three times in passing, just enough to let Kurt know that Blaine was not at all fond of his brother, though didn't say why.

Blaine just sighed. "Kurt, this is my brother Cooper. Cooper, this Kurt, my boyfriend." He introduced them lazily, a limp hand gesturing towards each of them.

Cooper raised an eyebrow but shook Kurt's hand all the same with a smile. "It's great to meet you, Kurt."

"Y-you too," Kurt replied a bit breathlessly. Blaine rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. Cooper's eyes momentarily darted to his brother.

The bell rang, signaling their usual split for seventh period – Kurt had French while Blaine had study hall. Kurt's shoulders drooped at the realization.

"You have class, Kurt?"

"Y-yeah, I'm sorry, I've- I've got to go. It was – I'll see you later?"

"Sure," Cooper nodded, still smiling. Blaine scoffed.

Kurt grinned. "Great!" He reached to take Blaine's hand and squeezed it, finally looking back at his boyfriend. He noticed the slumped shoulders and frustrated gaze trained on the tacky tile under their feet. Kurt rubbed the back of Blaine's hand with his thumb, and Blaine finally looked up to meet Kurt's eyes.

"I'll see you after class, okay? Text me if you need me."

Blaine nodded and offered a small smile. "Love you," he said softly.

"Love you too," Kurt replied with another squeeze of Blaine's hand. Regretfully he let go and clutched his notebooks tightly to his chest as he turned down the hall, shooting a glance over his shoulder before he rounded the corner.

"Well, that was nice."

Blaine groaned and rounded on his brother in the nearly empty hallway, glaring daggers.

"Ouch. What?"

"Really? Here? Now?"

"What?"

"Ugh! We can't talk here." Blaine stalked off in the opposite direction Kurt had gone. Confused, Cooper followed his clearly irritated brother. There wasn't much else he could do.

Blaine led them to the choir room. He waited at the door, tapping his foot impatiently as Cooper sauntered down the hall and closed it behind him once he _finally_ entered.

"Well, this is cozy." Cooper smirked as he sat in the first row of chairs. He draped an arm over the chair to his right and settled in, legs spread comfortably as he looked around the choir room.

"Why. Are. You. Here."

Cooper hummed questioningly.

"What do you want?"

"I can't come visit my little brother at school? I wanted to see where you decided to go instead of Dalton."

"Of course you did. Because you can finally spend your money on yourself."

"Why did you leave, exactly? Just for that kid –"

"Kurt. His name is Kurt. And he's my – my _everything_."

"Right. So you left for Kurt."

"No – well, yes, but no."

Cooper gave him a wry smile. "Yes but no?"

"No. I came _here_ for Kurt. I left Dalton because I'm sick of feeling like I owe you more and more every damn day I'm there."

"Like you owe me?"

"I didn't need your money."

"What?"

"I won't take your money."

"You did for two years."

"It's not like you gave me a choice."

"Because you weren't going back there after the dance."

Blaine winced.

"And it's not like mom and dad would do anything to help you."

"I would have been fine. I didn't need your help. I didn't _want _your help."

"Yes, you did. You did need it. You still can't think about that night without cringing, can you?"

Blaine didn't respond.

"You would never go within a mile of that school, would you?"

"…S-so what?"

"So I did it for you."

Blaine scoffed and crossed his arms. "Yeah, okay."

Cooper just raised his eyebrows and crossed his legs.

"For me? Really?"

"Um, yeah."

"Then why did you harp on me every month when you got the bill? Why was that the only reason I talked to you over the past two years?"

"Because I…I didn't know how else to talk to you."

Blaine let out a sharp laugh. "Of course you didn't! Because you _left_! You abandoned me while I was still in the hospital!"

It was Cooper's turn to cringe. He curled into himself, shifting in his chair.

Blaine just watched, breathing heavily and eyes a bit wild.

"Because I could help more if I wasn't there."

"Yeah, being completely alone helped so much. Thanks."

Cooper met his eyes with such pain and pity and regret, Blaine almost gave up the fight. Almost. He'd caved too many times to too many people over the years. It was his turn to tell his side. To fight back, even if it was against his brother. _Especially_ if it was against his stupid, deserting, jerk of a brother.

"Why did you leave?"

"So I could have the money to help you," Cooper replied quietly.

"Why did you need to help me? So I could owe you later? So you could have a _claim_ to me?"

Finally Cooper's face fell. "I – it – well – "

"Yeah."

"I just wanted you to know I cared. I still care."

"Care enough to make me feel guilty?"

"No, I – "

"You what, Coop? What?"

He sighed. "You had to be safe, Blaine."

"Oh, so for my safety? So I could run?"

"You had to get out of there. You had to get away. You had to get better."

"Then why did you lord it over me?" Blaine was shouting now. He didn't really care. "Why did you feel the need to let me know how much you were paying? How many auditions you were taking so you could have enough money to _live _after you paid for Dalton?"

"You – I – I didn't know how else to tell you I was still paying."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you need to tell me?"

"Because mom and dad always told me not to! But there was no way they would ever start to pay!"

Blaine laughed humorlessly. "They told me the same. Regularly. Said you should save your money."

"Wh-what?"

"You're all they talk about! Ever! They compare me to you! Make me feel guilty for letting you pay, for running, for throwing myself into school to make it worth it! For everything!"

"I never wanted you to feel guilty! I just wanted you to have somewhere good to go."

"Why did you even bother?"

"Because you're my brother and I could finally protect you!"

Blaine just gaped.

"Yeah! I spent our entire childhood trying to do something, anything right for you! You didn't deserve any of that shit! Dad was an ass, mom did nothing. You were bullied everywhere. And when you came out in seventh grade, it got worse. And I didn't know what to do! You closed in on yourself. You pulled away from me. Sure, you'd still come into my room at night after a bad dream or after dad was too harsh or after a particularly rough day. I always let you in, always held you when you cried, was always there any way I could be! But it wasn't the same! I couldn't do anything for you because you wouldn't let me!"

Blaine sniffed, unaware of the tears falling. His shoulders sagged and he slowly backed up a few paces until his legs bumped into the piano bench. He sunk down unsteadily, rocking forward with a sob.

Cooper rose quickly and nearly ran to his brother, sitting beside him on the bench to speak softly. Tentatively he reached for Blaine's hand but drew back.

"I made sure to stay nearby for school so I could be there whenever you needed me. That's why I ignored mom and dad's suggestions to go to Los Angeles or New York or even Columbus so I could be anywhere far enough to need me to dorm and could be somewhere to get real acting education and experience. Because I had to be there for you. Someone had to be there for you."

"But – but you _left_," Blaine whispered thickly.

Cooper finally took his hands, held them tightly. "I know. And I hate myself for it. For leaving when you needed me most. It k-_killed_ me." He paused to take a breath. This had to be done right; he'd been waiting so long to talk to Blaine about this. He had to know. "But seeing you so broken…it tore my heart out. I had to do something for you, something no one would ever do. I had to give you a safe place. I had to send you to Dalton. But to do that, I had to audition for bigger roles than the local soap opera and commercials. I had to go out to L.A. to get my big break to have some real money for you."

Blaine's lips quivered, unsure of what to say to his brother. He hadn't realized, hadn't known. His shoulders rose slightly with every shallow breath through his tears.

Suddenly Cooper laughed bitterly, making Blaine jump. "God, we grew up in such a shitty place, Blaine. I should have just taken you with me, should have moved for school and found somewhere for you to go to avoid this hellhole. To avoid that – that night."

Blaine's eyes grew wide. "But–"

"But then you wouldn't have met Kurt. I know. In just the five minutes I saw you together I knew. God, Blaine, I know. I may be a prick, jerk, asshole, any name you've no doubt called me to my face and behind my back. But I know you and I know how badly you hurt as a kid because of this shitty place. I know how badly you wished you could find a _friend_, just someone to understand you, let alone someone to love you. I know how much love you have to give, and how much you _crave_ it, you _need _even a fraction of it given back to you. You deserve everything good the world has to offer. You deserve Kurt.

"You deserve a better brother than I've been to you. I'm so, so sorry. I…I didn't know how to cope with what happened to you. Every minute I was either in such pain and crying I couldn't breathe and felt like I was drowning, or I was so furious I punched a hole in my wall to stop myself from putting those…those _pussies _underground."

Blaine watched while his brother panted, tears flowing down both their cheeks, and squeezed his hands.

"I…I wish you'd been there," Blaine whispered. "I – it…I had no one. Mom and dad were only there when they had to be, when it was politically correct or socially proper. It took me so long to stop jumping at slammed doors or dropped books. They only sent me to a th-therapist because the doctors sort of mandated it, and I w-went without them."

"Oh, god, Blaine – " He grabbed at his brother, holding him tightly to his chest. Blaine fisted his shirt and closed his eyes.

"I know. Now I know. I just…I needed you, Coop. But….But Dalton _did_ save me. I did everything to make it worth it for you. I tried so hard. To be well liked, to make friends, to get the best grades, to join the Warblers, to lead…to…to sort of hide the problems. It killed me, though, that you abandoned me. That you never talked to me. That I couldn't share my achievements, to show you how much it meant that you sent me there. How I felt safer there, but with you so far nothing was really right. How badly I needed you."

"I…I don't know why I thought it was better to leave you." It was just a breath ghosting over Blaine's neck, barely a whisper.

"I hated you for it, for a while."

"I hated me too."

Blaine sniffed and pulled back, rubbed the back of one hand across his cheeks while the other still clutched Cooper's arm tightly.

"S-so why did you come back?"

Cooper mimicked his brother, sat back on his haunches. "Well I got that letter and email and c-call that you'd transferred and signed some f-form to stop the payments from my account. I decided I needed to visit to check up on you, to see if you really were okay and figure out why the hell you left the safest place I could think of for you."

Blaine blushed faintly and looked down, a small smile on his lips.

Cooper ducked to catch Blaine's eyes. "So it was partly for Kurt, wasn't it?"

"W-well…a bit, yeah. But getting off your payroll was the other factor."

"I'm glad you found someone, B. I really am. He seems good for you."

Blaine raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"What? I may not have been around but I can tell these things. I'm still your brother. And your Facebook friend. I've seen the difference."

Blaine just rolled his eyes and laughed with his brother.

"So you're really okay here? Even living with mom and dad?"

"It….it's not ideal, but it's good. It's…it's Kurt. And his friends and family and just…" Blaine sighed.

Cooper nodded in understanding.

"So are…are you staying, Coop?"

"Well I've gotta take care of my little bro, don't I?"

Blaine's eyes bugged out and brimmed with more tears.

"Keep your eyes in your head, B," Cooper chuckled. "I've still got that apartment here. And you're moving in with me, I don't care what you or those _parents_ of ours say."

"C-Coop–" Blaine launched himself at his brother, nearly knocking them both off the bench. "Thank you, thank you, oh god, Cooper." He was crying again, holding on to his lifeline.

The door to the choir room opened slowly, and Kurt slipped inside. Cooper looked up and met his eyes with a watery smile. Kurt covered his mouth and silently watched the brothers embrace. He'd managed to calm down after meeting the celebrity, sure to be there (and calm) for Blaine.

Cooper tapped Blaine's shoulder and turned to whisper right in his ear. "Looks like someone came looking for you."

Blaine looked up and turned towards the door. He spotted his boyfriend and smiled softly, taking a breath.

"Y-yeah. He just sort of knows." He pulled back from Cooper again but kept hold of his shoulders. "Thank you. For everything."

"It's my job, little bro." He stood and pulled Blaine up with him, leading him to Kurt in the doorway as he hastily rubbed his tear-stained cheeks. "Now, let's go, I'm taking you two out and you're telling me everything."

Kurt cocked an eyebrow and lowered his hand to reveal a warm smile, eyes shining just a little, and rubbed Blaine's arm when he came close enough. "Hi, honey. H-Hi, Cooper." He turned questioning eyes to Blaine, receiving that look that said everything was all right but he'd go through it later.

"Hey, Kurt. I'm sorry to say that it's my fault I've never heard of you before today, but I'd like the chance to get to know you. Can I treat you boys to coffee?"

Blaine perked up visibly, nodding as his lips slowly curved into a smile and he scrubbed at his eyes one last time. Kurt grinned and squeezed his hand. "Sure, we'd love that."

"Awesome," Cooper grinned cheekily. "I've got two years of embarrassing stories to catch up on and I'm _sure_ Kurt is dying to tell most of them. I think I passed a coffee shop near the mall on my way here. Sound good?"

"As long as we stay far away from the Gap," Kurt deadpanned.

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><p><strong>AN: I don't know why I love Blangst so much. Or why I enjoyed writing this so much.**

**Am I a sadist? Welp. Sorry Blainers, sorry Coop.**

**Let me know what you think! I've got more Blangsty ideas in store...**


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